Ohyeahyeah...I used to just keep a jar ready to go sitting beside the one I am switching out. Until you get some likker in the next one from cooking you can start with a little water. Then you dont have to turn off the heat just remove one and replace with the new one -- its pretty quick as you will see. I think if you go to messin with the heat you just get pissed off cause now ya gotta wait for it again. Just kick it around in your mind before saying no....but I do understand the gotta be carefull thinking.

You can use water in the thumper if you want until you make a few runs and save up some tails. I never used mash in the thumper but I'm sure you can. I never really saved up the tails for that either but you certainly can do that too. I just like the idea of clean starts not the smelly tails but it will work either way."

As good as I can figger out that is a separate smaller boiler hooked onto the side of the main boiler and or condenser. If a person runs one with a pot still for example they get a distillation and a half on the same amount of effort heat/time etc if the thumper is half the size of the main boiler. They get the name cuz they make a thumping sound when they run. Now somebody on here say they had one hooked up to a refluxer. Not sure what is the logic in that one. Somebody jump on here in a bit and tell you what a thumper really is..hopefully..lol.

PS Edit..the trip and half through the still makes for a more pure finished product. Since it has been through it an extry half time. Si si? Not as pure as twice through of course. It be half lap behind on that deal.

PPS Edit..I also know you have to prime them to make them work. The only fella I know who has one saves up his watered down tails to prime the thumper..lol.

Thumpers can be pretty versatile. A thumper is a parasitic boiler and does as Bee-dubya explains. They are typically used to boost abv....But the technology is old and some what inefficient compared to the column still.....But the goal of most modern pot stillers is to exploit this inefficiency. Typically one would charge the thumper with enough liquid to cover the vapor inlet holes. Then entering vapor hits the liquid and condenses... So the first responsibility of the thumper is to condense vapor.

When the thumper is finally up to temp the liquid within will start to heat enough to start to evaporate the alcohol within the thumper.This is phase change...This is distillation.

Not all thumpers are equal as some thumpers may smear more than others and some may boost abv better than others. Size and shape play a role.

I find using a self filling thumper (thumper with a reflux condenser) to render the optimal amount of abv possible given the Fred Flintstone technology.

But the thumper can also be used to infuse flavor on your spirit run by charging with dunder or fruit or fruit skins or what ever...

Thanks Muadib. I plug that in and it brings me right back here..lol. Also tried clicking on LW's Handle with no ceegar on that one either. Hey LW I may have already seen it somewhere else. Is that the one which looks like a Saxaphone from Outter Space?

"This was a cut and paste of mine, from another thread but seems very relevant to this one!

I bought a ""still"" online, from one of those sites that keeps closing and opening up under a different name. It never seemed to produce any where near the quantity/quality they advertised. I modified it, even designed and built a few other stills, it was fun, I learned the basics and theory, the product was drinkable, and I learned a lot along the way with the help of people on this site and a few others.

I recently received a Brewhaus still I ordered and wow the difference it made! Increased yield in less time and a higher quality product!Looking back, If I put all the money spent making that still something it wasn't, towards the Brewhaus model I bought or even a smaller unit, it would have been pretty close to paid for. I heard a lot of people say on this forum and others (save your money and buy what you will end up with in the long run anyway). I'm very glad I bought the Brewhaus model.

Thanks a lot for the heads up on that deal. Hopefully save a smart person a few bucks and muy heart ache. I searched hither and tither before snagging my BH. Came close to considering Mile Hi but realized BH was a five min drive from my crib..whilst the other place was up in the Rockies. I likes to chop close to home..sides I know them Colorada folks spend all their time telling dumb Texan jokes to each other. lol. Could not be happier with the quality and usefulness of the product..or the customer service. Now I do wish they would answer the phone sometimes..but got to keep the costs down I guess.

I have a turbo stomper reflux still bought from Paul C. In 2007. When it was still halfway reputable. I will tell you. No fancy stuff like they make today with premium parts, but it still worked great! Got close to 196% proof! Near good enough for Ethanol.

This topic is 5 years old.. i dont think anyone wants your 10 year old still.. from a highly questionable "still" maker. That guy has a terrible reputation, i'm surprised you got anything at all from him.

Weather it is 5 years or 100 years old is of no concern. A still is a still and the same principles and chemistry still apply today. It worked great for me using the safe method of electrical units inside the keg, and it gave me its all.What happened to other people buying their stills from Paul did not happen to me. It probably was cheaper materials compared to today's stills. The tech support was lacking, and it was overpriced. But at the time it was one of very few reflux stills out there. I did my research and found this one the best at the time, for less money than other stills. Don't knock it until you have seen it or tried it would be a nice change.

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